Bison Briefs
ROMER BAUTISTA STAFF
PHOTO: CHRIS SHAY
Women’s hockey: Bisons end season with exhibition game against Kazakhstan
The Bisons women’s hockey team, fresh off a bronze-medal performance at the CIS National Championships, ended their season with a 3-2 shootout loss to the Kazakhstan national team in an exhibition game played at the TG Smith Centre Centennial Arena in Steinbach, Man..
After a scoreless first period, it was the Bisons who got on the scoreboard first. Leanne Kisil took advantage of a power-play opportunity, sliding in a goal past Kazakhstan goalie Yekaterina Ryzhova with assists coming from Tammy Brade and Meghan Ross.
Strong netminding from Stacey Corfield, and Dana Hoogsteen, who replaced Corfield midway through the period, kept the Bisons’ one-goal lead intact as play entered the third period.
Once again, the Bisons capitalized on the man-advantage, as Sarah Stebeleski was able to pounce on a rebound and give the Bisons a two-goal cushion.
As expected, however, the Kazakhstan team didn’t go out without a fight. With less then four minutes remaining in the game, Kazakhstan finally found the back of the net with Alexandra Babushkina scoring on the power play. Forty-five seconds later they were at it again, as Vera Nazyrova tied things up at two.
Both teams tried feverishly to score the game-winner in regulation, but to no avail.
The five-minute overtime solved nothing, and the two teams went to a five-person shootout to decide the game’s winner. Kazakhstan’s Tatyana Shtelmaister was the lone skater to score, giving her team the comeback victory.
